Blog relating to the American Presidency, specific American Presidents, and First Ladies. Posts by online college instructor Jennie Weber with additional posts by site founder Dr. Michael Lorenzen and Elementaryhistoryteacher.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Will Audiences Accept Leo DiCaprio as Theodore Roosevelt?

A guest post by Julie Lorenzen.

With all the Oscar buzz going on all around I decided to go to imdb.com to check out the profile of Leonardo DiCaprio, who is nominated for (but probably won’t win) best actor for Blood Diamond. (Ok, I’m one of just a few or so it seems with a little crush on the three-time Academy Awards nominee.)

Anyway, I discovered that a project titled The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2008) is being developed for director Martin Scorsese and DiCaprio (who will play Theodore Roosevelt if everything goes as planned). According to IMDB website, the film is “A look at the formative years of the 26 President of the United States, from his transformation from a privileged New York politician to commander of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.”

I guess I’m not surprised about the tentative plans given the actor’s tendency to do serious films and his seeming quest for a certain award that is often given to those performing in bioepics. He also has a known preference for working under the direction of Scorcese. As much as I like him, I cannot picture DiCaprio as the larger than life T.R. The actor and the great Teddy Roosevelt seem to be a mismatch. I’m uncertain that the actor will be able to conjure up the energetic bravado possessed by Roosevelt. Does anyone else agree? If so, what actor would be better suited for the role?

5 comments:

Who would I cast? That's a tough one....the only person coming to mind currently is Danny DeVito or the guy who plays Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls...and I'm not sure if either of them work either. Maybe someone else will have a good idea....

Hmm Danny DeVito stands at 5 feet even and Edward Herrmann (aka Richard Gilmore) stands at 6 feet fives inches, so you covered both ends of the height spectrum. Danny Devito might have done well if he was about eight inches taller and 30 years younger.

I keep thinking of Australian Men--Hugh Jackman or Russell Crowe. However, Jackman might be too tall and Crowe too old.

I'd cast myself for the role. I've been thinking about making a movie about TR for the past few months and am kicking myself that I haven't gotten around to doing it. I'm short enough for the role, almost sufficiently weighty for it and, with practice, I'm sure I could learn to balance a pair of lenses on the bridge of my nose. :-)

Seriously, I really do want to make a film about this extraordinary man and I wouldn't mind playing him either.

I wasn't sure who Hugh Jackman was, but he just doesn't look right to me (I googled him...ahh, the Internet Age). Neither does Russell Crowe (but that might be because I had a roommate who was obsessed with him for awhile).

As to mnuez as TR - you'd have to provide a picture for comparsion!

I'm still liking Edward Herrmann (thanks for the real name - I can never remember). But maybe Robin Williams - he has the right charisma.

I think Leonardo DiCaprio could pull it off quite well - as long as he could replace that brilliant clipped "Efrikaner" for the rounded upper crust New England vowels that Theodore apparently shared with his distant relative, Franklin Delano and of course, put on a few extra pounds.